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THE 



CHRONOLOGY OF BIBLE HISTORY, 



AND 



HOW TO REMEMBER IT. 



BY REV. C. MUNGER, A.M. 



V 



NEW YORK: 
NELSON & PHILLIPS 

CINCINNATI: 
HITCHCOCK & WALDEN. 

SUNDAY-SCHOOL DEPARTMENT. 



/ 









EXPLANATION OF TABLES. 



To condense into the least possible space, signs and 
abbreviations are employed. A single dot at the up- 
per part of the final letter signifies birth ; two dots at 
the end of a name indicate death — thus : in Table I, 
Abel: 29, Setlr 30, read, Abel died 129, and Seth 
born 130, reading the fractions 29, 30, with the figures 
denoting the preceding century. 

ABBREVIATIONS. 

A. K. — Assyrian King. J. K. — Jewish King. 

B. 0. — Babylonian Captivity. J. Q. — Jewish Queen. 
Cap. — Captivity, Captured. K. — Kingdom, King. 
Con. — Converted. M. — Martyred. 

E. K— Egyptian King. M. K.-— Median King. After 3444, 

E. Q. — Egyptian Queen. Macedonian King. 

Eph. — Epipbanes. Maco. — Maccabeus-an. 

E. — Established. Miss.— Missionary Tour. 

Gr.— The Great. P.— Ptolemy. 

H. — Herod. P. K. — Persian King. 

H. P.— High-Priest. Pl.— Plundered. 

Hyr. — Hyrcanus. R. K. — Roman King. 

J. — Judge. Reh. — Rehoboam. 

Jer. — In Old Testament history, Rest. — Restored. 

Jeroboam. Sen. — Sennacherib. 
Jer. — In New Testament history, Serv. — Servitude. 

Jerusalem. 

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by Nelson & Phillips, 
in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 



TIME OF HISTORICAL BOOKS TO GUIDE IN LOCATING 
THEM ON TABLE L 



Genesis, 

Exodus, 

Leviticus, 

"Numbers, . 

Deuteronomy, 

Joshua, 

Judges, 

Ruth, 

1 Samuel, 

2 Samuel, 

1 Kings, 

2 Kings, . 

1 Chronicles, 

2 Chronicles, 
Ezra, 
Esther, 
Nehemiah, . 



prom A. 


M. 1 


to A 


. M. 


2369. 


<( < 


1 2298 


u 


u 


2514. 


u 


1 2513 


u 


« 


2514. 


(i 


" 2514 


M 


u 


2553 


• 


. 


. 


. 


2553 


u 


" 2553 


u 


(( 


2584 


u 


* 25*79 


u 


u 


2884. 


u 


li 2682 


a 


u 


2692 


u 


" 2833 


« 


(( 


2948 


a ( 


< 2948 


u 


(( 


298T 


u 


4 2989 


« 


(I 


3115 


u 


" 3108 


(i 


(( 


3442 


u 


11 1 


u 


it 


2989 


11 


" 2989 


u 


n 


3468 


it 


" 3468 


u 


u 


3548 


a 


" 3525 


(1 


a 


3531 


It ( 


* 3468 


u 


a 


3570. 



THE 

CHRONOLOGY OF BIBLE HISTOEY. 



> «•» < 



PART L 

THE CHRONOLOGY OF BIBLE HISTORY. 



CHRONOLOGY treats of the time of events, and 
shows their relations as parts of a whole. 

Chronology and geography are the great illumina- 
tors of history. To the student they are as the me- 
ridian lines and fixed points of the chart to the navi- 
gator. Without a practical knowledge of them, all is 
uncertainty ; with it, all is plain. 

Biblical Chronology shows the time and relations 
of the numerous persons and events which appear 
in Bible history. It is of two kinds, Historical and 
Prophetic. Our work is with Historical Chronology 
chiefly, only referring to the other class so far. as is 
necessary to exhibit the relations of the prophets to 
the history of their times. 

The value of chronology to the reader and student 
has not been properly appreciated. No history can 
be understood without a distinct knowledge of the 
relations of its several parts, and these relations can- 
not be seen without chronology ; for that, by showing 
the time of each, is the real key to all historical con- 
nections. 



EZRA 



CHRIST. A, D 



3500. 



PERIOD VIII 4000 



1. 



34 



35 



36 



37 



38 



39 



40 



Date of N 
Tes. Books 



3442 

LAM. 34K 

E 



3468 



N 



3468' 



ZR A 



.3548 



EST. 
E H. 



3570 



1 Th. 



2 Tli. 



1 Cor. 



2 Cor. 



Gal. 



Rom. 



1 Peter 



Matt. 



Epli 



Col. 



Phil. 



Philip. 



James 



Luke 



Acts 



Heb. 



Titus 



2 Peter 



1 Tim. 



Mark 



2 Tim. 



50 



55 



55 



56 



60 



60 



60 



60 



60 



61 



63 



63 



64 



65 



66 



John's Ep. 68 



TABLE I.-FOR MEMORIZING BIBLE HISTORY. 

THE TIME AND ORDER OF THE SAOHPn R^rvT^c, 

RED B ° OK8 ' AND TH E MOST SUGGESTIVE NAMES OF BIBLE HISTORY 



. 



ADAM. 

1 A.M. 


PERIOD! 

T~x 1 4 


JA 

s 


RED. 

00. 


PERIOD E 


. 


NOAH. 

1000. 


PEKIOD IH 


SHEM. 

1500. 


PEKIOD IV. 


ABRAM. 

2000. 


PERIOD V. 


MOSES. 

2500. 




SOLOMON. 

PERIOD VI. 3000 




PERIOD TO. 


EZRA. 






CHRIST 


.A. D 




"+- 


H- 










G 


E 


N 


E 


s 


I 


S 


16 

FROM 


17 

A.M. 


18 

I TO 


19 


20 


21 


22 


23 


24 


25 


26 


27 


28 


29 


30 




32 


33 


34 


35 


36 


37 


38 39 




ena- 
























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FROM 


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12 


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16 








20 




22 


as 


21 












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2V«n;.k D.JV-lElij.h 309 






"""'"CI 








IcHRIST- Y" "1 























































































Chronology of Bible History. 5 

Bible history "is religion teaching by example;" 
and, as more than three fourths of our Bible is either 
historical or prophetic, the importance of having in 
the memory so much of historical data as will enable 
one to understand this large portion of the word 
of life is apparent. By a practical knowledge of the 
time of the different parts of chronology, showing 
their connection with each other, we have the means 
of a true exposition, confirmation, and harmony of 
the whole. By chronology, also, the wonderful ex- 
tent of Scripture prophecy can be exhibited, and 
its fulfillment demonstrated. But different systems, 
and arbitrary and impracticable methods, with conse- 
quent failures, have created a general impression that 
no satisfactory results can be obtained in this depart- 
ment of sacred science; hence a general neglect of 
the subject, and, of course, great confusion of ideas, 
even among the most earnest and devout students of 
the Bible. Some charge the fault to their memory; 
others, to the impracticability of the subject. The 
real difficulty, however, is in neither of these, but in 
wrong methods, and the separation of the materials of 
the history from their proper position and relations. 

To have different starting points and different se- 
ries of computations, and to read one way and reckon 
the opposite — to read the history from Adam to Christ 
and count the time from Christ to Adam, and to at- 
tempt to remember in order materials put together in 
general disorder — is unquestionably impracticable, 
and well calculated to produce confusion and secure 
defeat. But if we can discover the historical connec- 
tions of the several parts of sacred history, and ar- 
range them in the order of occurrence — and if we can 
devise a method by which this order, together with 



6 Chronology of Bible History. 

the more prominent outlines and events, may be so 
fixed in the memory that they will naturally suggest 
each other, and also the details of the record — we shall 
be able, without much difficulty, to remember them. 
This is our special design. In doing this we need 
not discuss the merits of different systems, or assume 
the absolute correctness of any one ; but, accepting a 
recognized standard, work by that, upon the princi- 
ple that "any system is better than none." The 
chronology of the English Bible was regulated by the 
views of Archbishop Usher, who followed, in gen- 
eral, the Hebrew text. From the time of Jerome 
(A. D. 330-420) the " short chronology adopted by 
Usher was the recognized system of the Western 
Church. The American Bible Society, and alsoBag- 
ster of London, whose editions of the Bible, more than 
any other, may be regarded as the standard in Eu- 
rope and America, adopt this system. 

Blair's " Chronological Tables," published in Bohn's 
" Scientific Library," (London, 1856,) embody the 
results of a comparison of Usher, Clinton, and the 
Oxford Tables. " We have no materials," says Rosse, 
" for a more correct system." Dr. Hurst's dates in 
his " Outlines of Bible History," with few and unim- 
portant variations, agree with these. We have taken 
his dates, only reckoning from Adam to Christ. We 
have also made numerous additions to his facts and 
dates, chiefly from Blair's Tables. The arrangement 
of the books of the Bible (Table I) is according to 
the dates of the American Bible Society, with a sin- 
gle exception for reasons given. Taking these recog- 
nized authorities for our guide, we are prepared to 
take the first step toward a thorough understanding 
of the Bible as a whole ; namely, to discover and fix 



Chronology of Bible History. 7 

in the memory the historical connections and chrono- 
logical order of the sacred books. 

To do this, we must examine the dates of each book, 
the earliest and latest, and the events corresponding 
to these dates, which indicate the beginning and close 
of the book. 

This examination unfolds in the sacred volume a 
triple series of books, wholly or in part historical. 

First A series of books historically connected, 
containing the inspired records from Adam to about 
twenty-five years after the destruction of the kingdom 
of Jndah, or to A. M. 3442. 

Second, Another series commencing with Adam, 
and covering the whole time of the first series, and 
closing with the reformation by Nehemiah, about 
A. M. 3570, which is the latest date of Old Testament 
history, unless we reckon the book of Malachi histor- 
ical, which would extend the time to A. M. 3607. 

Third. A series of books, partly historical and 
partly prophetic, commencing with Jonah, A. M. 3164, 
and closing with Malachi, A. M. 3607, or, as Bagster 
dates, A. M. 3584. 4 



FIRST SERIES OF HISTORICAL BOOKS. 

FEOM A.M. 1 TO A.M. 



This series includes the following books, and the 
history of each dates thus : — 



Genesis, from A. M. 1 to A. M. 


2369. 


Exodus, " 2298 " 


2514. 


Leviticus, " 2298 " 


2514. 


Numbers, " 2514 " 


2553. 


Deuteronomy, " 2514 " 


2553. 


Joshua, " 2553 " 


2584. 



Judges, from A. M. 2579 to A. M. 2884- 



Kuth, ■ 


' 2682 


it 


2692 


I Samuel, 


1 2833 


u 


2948 


II Samuel, 


8 2948 


u 


2987 


I Kings, 


1 2989 


K 


3115 


II Kings, 


" 8108 


U 


3442 



These dates indicate the historical connection, and, 
of course, a certain chronological relation, which must 
be understood to prevent confusion. The events 



8 Ohkonology of Bible History. 

connected with these dates confirm the fact of such 
a connection beyond question. 

Genesis opens with " the beginning," and our chro- 
nology commences at the creation of Adam. The 
first five chapters extend over fifteen centuries, and 
at the eleventh chapter we are chronologically half 
way from Adam to Christ : that is, to the birth of 
Abram, A. M. 2008. The lives of Adam, Methuse- 
lah, and Shem extended through twenty-one centu- 
ries, or one hundred and fifty years beyond the birth 
of Abram. This shows that the knowledge of Edenic 
events may have been transmitted from Adam to 
Methuselah, from Methuselah to Shem, from Shem 
to Abram. Genesis closes with the death of Joseph, 
A. M. 2369. 

Exodus opens with the fact of Jacob's settlement 
in Egypt, A. M. 2298, but all after the second chapter 
belongs in the twenty-sixth century, A. M. 2513, 2514. 

In Table I the broken lines, which represent the 
time of Genesis, Exodus, and I Chronicles, indicate 
that their contents relate to individuals and families. 

Leviticus comprises the transactions of about one 
month, A. M. 2514. Numbers contains the history 
of about thirty-nine years from A. M. 2514. Deuter- 
onomy dates 2553. It was Moses' last work. It is a 
review of the history of nearly forty years from the 
exode, closing with the account of Moses' death, 
added by another hand. The book of Joshua opens 
w 7 ith his accession as the leader of Israel in the place 
of Moses, and closes with the death of Eleazar, the 
son of Aaron, about 2584. 

Judges contains the history of the Hebrew Repub- 
lic for about three hundred years. The last four 
chapters, xvii-xxi inclusive, explain the rise of the 



/ 



Chronology of Bible History. 



9 



first apostasy after the death of Joshua and his con- 
temporaries, and belong, therefore, in the beginning 
of the period, or the last part of the twenty-sixth 
century. 

Ruth is a biographical episode, embracing about 
ten years, from 2682-2692. First Samuel opens with 
the birth of Samuel, 2833, and closes with the death 
of Saul, 2948. Second Samuel begins with the death 
of Saul, and closes with the cessation of the pestilence 
occasioned by the numbering of the people two years 
before David's death. 

First Kings opens with David's last year, and 
closes with the accession of Jehoram, king of Judah, 
A. M. 3115. Second Kings opens with the rebellion 
of Moab, 3108, and closes with the restoration of Je- 
hoiachin, king of Judah, 3442. 



SECOND SERIES OF HISTORICAL BOOKS. 

FEOM A.M. 1 TO A.M. 3570. 

This series includes First and Second Chronicles, 
Ezra, Esther, j^ehemiah. The dates of these books 
show their historical connection as follows : — 

I Chron., from A. M. 1 to A. M. 298T. Esther, from A. M. 3525 to A. M. 353T. 
IlChron., " 2989 " 3468. Nehemiah, " 3468 " 3570. 

Ezra," " 8468 " 8548. 

First Chronicles extends from Adam to the death 
of David, 2989. The tenth chapter describes Saul's 
death, thus synchronizing the last chapter of First 
Samuel. Thus all of First Chronicles after the ninth 
chapter belongs in the thirtieth century, and syn- 
chronizes Second Samuel. 

Second Chronicles begins with the accession of Sol- 
omon, 2989, and closes with the decree of Cyrus for 
rebuilding the Temple, at the termination of the 
Babylonian captivity, 3468. 



10 Chronology of Bible History. 

Ezra continues the history from the decree of Cyrus, 
3468, and closes with his reformation, about 3548. 

The book of .Nehemiah consists of historical notices 
(chapters vii, xii) of a period beginning about 3468, 
thus synchronizing the first three chapters of Ezra. 
The other chapters contain his personal history of 
about twelve years, from 3558 to 3570. 

The time of Esther is doubtful. The American 
Bible Society dates it 3483-3509. This assumes that 
the Ahasuerus of Esther was Darius Hystaspes. 
Later criticism, however, has made this improbable, 
and inclines strongly to Xerxes or Artaxerxes Longi- 
manus as the husband of Esther. The Septuagint, 
Josephus, Prideaux, Blair, and Bagster, suppose that 
this book belongs to the time of Artaxerxes Longi- 
manus. In the tables it is placed in the time of 
Xerxes upon the authority of M'Clintock, Strong, and 
Smith, whose discussions perhaps more fully repre- 
sent the results of the latest investigation. Accord- 
ing to these authorities Esther came into the king's 
harem in the seventh year of his reign, and Haman's 
plot developed about five years later, or the twelfth 
year, A. M. 3530. 

THIRD SERIES: HISTORIC O-PROPHETIC BOOKS. 

FEOM A.M. 3164 TO A.M. 8607. 

The prophetic books cover over four centuries. 
They are in part historical — As the ministers of God, 
the prophets, had to deal with the sins and sorrows of 
their times. In doing this, they unfold the inner life 
of the Church, and exhibit the sentiments and cus- 
toms which prevailed at different times, either as 
causes or consequents of apostasy or fidelity touching 
the covenant of God. In this respect their testimony 



l 



Chronology of Bible History. 11 

is invaluable. But the force of it is nearly destroyed 
by a chronological misplacement which separates these 
books from their historical connections, and thus ob- 
scures their true application and meaning. A proper 
adjustment of the writings of the prophets to the 
history of their times would be of incalculable value 
in this department of biblical criticism. 

Most of the prophets give data from which their 
time may be calculated with a good degree of cer- 
tainty. According to custom, they date from some 
well-known event, or the year of the reigning king or 
kings. 

Jonah, the first in the order of time, is placed by 
the author of Second Kings in or before the reign 
of Amaziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam II., king 
of Israel. 2 Kings xiv, 23, 25. 

Amos dates from " the days of Uzziah, king of Ju- 
dah," and Jeroboam II., king of Israel. Amos i, 1. 

Hosea dates from "the days of Uzziah, Jotham, 
Ahaz, and Hezekiah." Hosea i, 1. 

Isaiah dates from the same as Hosea. Isa. i, 1. 

Micah dates " in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and 
Hezekiah." Micah i, 1. 

Zephaniah dates " in the days of Josiah, king of 
Judah." Zeph. i, 1. 

Jeremiah dates from a the days of Josiah, and his 
son Jehoiakim." Jer. i, 2, 3. 

Ezekiel dates from " the year of Jehoiachin's cap- 
tivity." 

Daniel dates from the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar, 
Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus. Dan. ii, 1 ; vii, 1 ; 
xi, 1 ; x, 1, 14. 

Haggai dates from " the second year of Darius the 
king." Haggai i, 1. 



12 Chkonology of Bible History. 

Zechariah dates from the second and fourth years 
of Darius the king. Zech. i, 1 ; vii, 1. 

Malachi was the last of the inspired seers, and with 
him the spirit of prophecy ceased until the days of 
the long-expected Messiah. 

Thus eleven of the sixteen prophets are so dated as 
to show their place in the national history with nearly 
the same certainty as that of the kings. Five only 
are without internal evidence of their time. These 
touch the events of their times but occasionally, and 
therefore their dates are not so important. The dates 
of the prophets in Table II are those of Dr. Hurst in 
his " Bible History." 

These dates, with those of contemporaneous events, 
afford the student a clew to the historical connections 
of the prophets, and open one of the most inviting 
fields of biblical investigation. "When one is familiar 
with these connections, and reads the prophets in view 
of events then passing, he can understand the " spirit 
of the times," and see the application and force of 
much which otherwise would be obscure. Take for 
example the pungent words of Isaiah xxviii, 14, 15 : 
" Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful 
men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. 
Because ye have said, We have made a covenant 
with death, and with hell we are at agreement ; when 
the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall 
not come unto us : for we have made lies our refuge, 
and under falsehood have we hid ourselves." With- 
out the date it is impossible to appreciate the force of 
these words. Add the time A. M. 3279, just four 
years before the destruction of the kingdom of Israel. 
The prophet in his address shows that the people of 
that kingdom, particularly its capital, Samaria, were 



Chronology of Bible History. 13 

given up to revelry and debauch ; that even the 
priests and prophets were " swallowed up of wine," 
and " through strong drink " were "out of the way ; " 
that, though ruin was close at hand, they were entirely 
at ease, as though they had made a truce with death 
and hell. Yerse 14 seems to imply that the rulers in 
Jerusalem also were in sympathy with them, and also 
scorned the impending judgment and the prophet's 
warning. Though the Assyrian hosts were already 
moving to the final charge which would end their 
national life, " the drunkards of Ephraim " felt secure, 
because they had made lies their refuge, and under 
falsehood had hid themselves. In this stolid security 
they scoffed at the prophets, and scorned their words. 
In Jerusalem, also, were scorners. Hence the im- 
passioned language, " The hail shall sweep away 
the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the 
hiding-place. And your covenant with death shall 
be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall 
not stand." "Now, therefore, be ye not mockers, 
lest your bands be made strong : for I have heard from 
the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even deter- 
mined upon the whole earth." 

The Psalms open another source of valuable infor- 
mation respecting numerous events of sacred history. 
Prompted, as many of them were, by events which 
thrilled the entire nation — adopted, as some were, into 
the national religious services — they exhibit the inte- 
rior life of the Church as nothing else could. 

Their chronological arrangement and historical con- 
nections are of great value ; but, like those of the 
prophets, are too complicated to come within the 
scope of this writing. 

The remaining books of the Old Testament are 



14 Oheonology of Bible History. 

unhistorical, and their dates unimportant to our in- 
vestigation. Job has been placed before Abram, and 
as late as the Babylonian captivity. The American 
Bible Society, and also Bagster, date Job A. M. 2484; 
Solomon's Song, 2990; Proverbs, 3004; Ecclesias- 
tes, 3027 ; Lamentations, 3416. 

We have now before us the sources of information 
touching the various parts of Bible history. The ex- 
amination of dates and events proves beyond ques- 
tion the historical connection of these parts. They 
exhibit a continuous history of the Church of God, so 
connected in its several portions as to prove a unity of 
design and inspiration, and so multiplied and varied 
as to afford the skeptic the best opportunity to detect 
disharmony or untruth, if such there were. But, in 
the absence of this, it gives the Church a triumphant 
defense, an irrefragable argument for the truthfulness 
of her history. 



UR, HISTORY 



CHRIST. 



:od viii. 



4000 



18 



39 



40 



A.D. 1 



3704 



P0 



Cynniut id 



Term 6 



Annas, (H.P.) 



(M. K.) 37 



PASSOVER 



Oniaa HX, (H. P.) 3S09 SELEUCUS V. 3909 



(M. K.) 3710 



ANTIOCEUS VIII. 3910 



(Eusebes.) 



O^ 2712 



TIBITDinC! 



ABBAM 



TABLE II.-FOR MEMORIZING BIBLE HISTORY. 

PRINCIPAL PERIODS, PERSONS, AND EVENTS OF THE cLd AND NEW TESTAMENTS, WITH IMPORTANT # 



MOSES. 



SOLOMON 



ADDITIONS FROM SECULAR HISTORY 

EZRA. 




Chkonology of Bible History. 15 



PART II. 
HOW TO REMEMBER BIBLE CHRONOLOGY. 



¥E have shown that the difficulty in remem- 
bering Bible history is not in the nature of the 
subject but in the confused condition of the mate- 
rials, and in the arbitrary and perplexing methods 
of presentation. By showing the historical connec- 
tions, and arranging the parts accordingly, we 
remove the chief difficulty, and a thorough knowl- 
edge and a certain recollection of the prominent 
facts of the sacred record become not only practi- 
cable, but easy of accomplishment, even by the poor- 
est memory. To do this, 

First. We must lay aside whatever embarrasses 
the memory in this particular work. 

The different methods of computation employed by 
various nations — different eras as starting points, as the 
Olympiads, the Julian period, the Cycles of the Sun 
and Moon — are of use in exact calculation and for 
study, but worse than useless for the practical pur- 
poses of daily life. So, also, is the attempt to remem- 
ber by arbitrary signs, such as figures, catchwords, 
odd sentences, etc. We lay aside also the mischiev- 
ous habit of starting from two points at the same 
time, A. M. and B. C, or reading from the " begin- 
ning " and counting from the end — moving one way 
in the narrative and the opposite way in the time. 
This can only tend to confusion, and the sooner it is 



16 Chronology of Bible History. 

abandoned the better. To avoid this we read and 
count only from Adam to Christ. Again : We must 
not attempt to fill the mind with facts, figures, or 
details of history, isolated from their connections, 

for things associated, and these only, will be remem- 
bered. 

Second. Remember that all of Bible history, ex- 
cept the first eleven chapters of Genesis, belongs in 
the last half of Bible time; and, more exactly, in the 
first 1,600 years of the last half, as there were four 
centuries between the close of the Old and the open- 
ing of the New Testaments. But, 

Third, As we must know the whole time and 
the events of each portion, our next step is to fix in 
the memory a few suggestive points at equal dis- 
tances along the route from Adam to Christ. We 
take for these points some names prominent in the 
history, which occur at intervals of about five cen- 
turies. Being equidistant they are more easily re- 
membered. These divide the whole time into eight 
equal periods. The names which indicate the bounds 
of these periods are Adam, Jared, Noah, Shem, Abram, 
Moses, Solomon, Ezra, Christ. 

Fourth. The books of the Bible in the century 
or centuries in which they belong, and associate 
them with these names and periods. This impresses 
the memory with the unity and order of the whole, 
and the relations of different portions. As the 
time of the book indicates that of its contents, 
by this method we fix in the mind, in a gen- 
eral way, the order and time of the whole history, 
and with less effort than is possible by any other 
method. 

Fifth. Our next step is to enter the centuries, 



Chronology of Bible History. 17 

and take the most suggestive names of each, and as- 
sociate them with each other and with the nine mne- 
monic names, as above. 

Sixth. To complete the whole we extend this 
association to the principal periods, persons, and 
events of the Old and New Testaments, and, for the 
more advanced students, we add a few prominent 
names from secular history, as suggestive points of 
contact between the two. 

Thus, by association of the actor with the acts, the 
hero with the story, the superior with the subordi- 
nate, the few with the many, the mind grasps the 
whole field of history, and the memory recalls with 
perfect ease its outlines and details. 

To establish this association, however, is the point 
of difficulty. But it can be easily done, even by the 
poorest memory. The art of associating in the mind 
things difficult with things easily remembered, so 
that the former will be suggested by the latter, is the 
great aim of every system of mnemonics, or plan to 
aid the memory. 

Nothing is more difficult to remember than the 
ideas expressed by figures, and for the reason that 
figures, as arbitrary signs, convey no adequate idea 
of the intervals between different events, and there 
is no bond of association. They exist as grains of 
sand, and this isolation causes them to be forgotten. 
On the other hand, nothing is more easily remem- 
bered than objects of sight, and the relations they 
sustain to other objects. Therefore a method by 
which the subtle abstractions of time and thought, 
expressed by figures, may be easily and permanently 
associated with some object of sight, must secure the 
greatest success with comparatively little effort, for 



18 Chronology of Bible History. 

by it the recollection of history becomes as easy as 
that of any object of sight. 

This law of suggestion by local relation — of re- 
membering facts, ideas, dates, by place or things — 
is universal. Even the accidental associations of 
conversation in a particular place often become so 
permanent that they attend us through life. Recol- 
lection by place or things, as objects of sight, then, is 
the secret of success. How to establish this associa- 
tion, and express the succession of periods, centuries, 
and years, so that the events belonging in them may 
be presented to the eye, and thus be remembered, is 
the question now before us. 

As all the events of history have a certain succes- 
sion, and have also definite relations to other events 
in the order of time, our work is to express that suc- 
cession and order by a similar succession of spaces / 
for spaces, being visible, are easily remembered. 

Space and time have two factors in common — 
extension and divisibility. We may, therefore, meas- 
ure one by the other. This enables us to present to 
the eye the succession of equal portions of time by a 
succession of equal portions of space. Then, by en- 
tering the names of persons and events in the spaces 
which correspond to their dates, we present to the 
eye their position and relations in the succession of 
the spaces, and thus associate the ideal with the 
visible, so that one will suggest the other. Now our 
way is plain. To represent the 4,000 years from 
Adam to Christ, divide a given space, Table I, into 
forty columns, for the century spaces. Then divide 
each column into halves, quarters, fifths, and units, 
as in Table II. This gives a space for a year, in 
which names are placed according to their dates. 



Chronology of Bible History. 19 

Then divide these forty century columns into eight 
equal parts, by the heavy perpendicular lines — Table 
I. Over each of these heavy lines — and thus just 
five hundred years apart — we place a name which 
occurs in the history near the date indicated by the 
line, thus: Adam, Jared, Noah, Shem, Abram, 
Moses, Solomon, Ezra, Christ. 

These names and dates are mnemonic points, or 
stations, with which the events of the centuries are 
to be associated, and from which the whole field of 
ancient history may be surveyed with ease. 

The upper portion of Table I represents time by 
centuries only, counting from left to right. Upon 
these century columns are lines representing the 
time of each of the sacred books, and their chrono- 
logical relations to each other. This presents to the 
eye the time embraced in the history of each book, 
and, by learning the date of a book, we learn in a 
general way the time of the contents of the book, 
and the order and unity of the whole will be under- 
stood. 

The lower portion of Table I presents the most 
suggestive names and events of each century. In 
the first two thousand years all the names necessary 
to the succession are given. To avoid perplexing the 
mind with a multiplicity of names, we have selected 
a few which are so connected as most naturally to 
suggest the correlative history. These names and 
events can be easily remembered by the place or 
position they occupy, and their relations to others in 
the centuries and to the mnemonic names. 

Table II includes nearly all of Bible history, and 
numerous selections from secular history, to aid the 
student in tracing the vicissitudes of the Church 



20 Chronology of Bible History. 

through the preparatory period which connects the 
Old with the New Testament. If the preceding 
table is well understood and fixed in the mind, this 
will be memorized with ease, and the benefits will 
amply repay the effort. They will become more 
and more apparent at every reading, hearing, or 
writing on biblical subjects. 

In this table the principle of association by local 
relation is extended to the years of each century, 
represented by year spaces. The most important 
events are indicated by blocks at their respective 
dates. 

Period V, from Abram to Moses, is so interlaced 
by family relations that its narratives are easily re- 
membered. 

Period VI is of special interest. Here we find a 
memorable turning-point in society. The Church as 
an organism enters the arena, and takes her place 
among governments and powers. A scribe also ap- 
pears to write her history. Hence, says Bunsen, 
" History was born on the night of the Exode." All 
preceding this noticed merely individuals or families ; 
now an organized community appears in the field, 
and its history is recorded. That community was 
the Church, and that Church was a republic, which 
recognized God as its head. The establishment of 
this Theocratic Republic, and its first achievements 
under Moses and Joshua, are recorded in Exodus, 
Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, and the 
numerous events of that wonderful narrative are all 
suggested by those tw T o names. The history of this 
Church Republic during the three centuries after 
the death of Joshua is little else than a record of 
its apostasies, punishments, and deliverances. The 



Chronology of Bible History. 21 

judges or deliverers were so connected with the 
whole story that their names naturally suggest it, 
and by knowing their time we readily locate all the 
details of the history. Their names and dates are 
given in Table I. In Table II the date and dura- 
tion of each servitude, with the names of their op- 
pressors, are given together ; and the name of the 
judge who delivered them follows, thus: The first 
captivity was to Chushan-rishathaim, king of Meso- 
potamia, and continued eight years, when they were 
delivered by Othniel, A. M. 2599. The second cap- 
tivity was to Eglon, and continued eighteen years. 
Their deliverers were Ehud and Shamgar. 

The thirtieth century and the first quarter of the 
thirty -first was the period of the greatest prosperity 
to the Hebrew people. The chief actors were Sam- 
uel, Saul, David, and Solomon; and the time of all 
the persons and events of this period is readily associ- 
ated with the mnemonic name, Solomon. Period VII 
is the most difficult and most valuable of Bible his- 
tory. The division of the monarchy at the close of 
Solomon's reign, in which ten tribes seceded, leaving 
only two to the original government, is indicated in 
the table by the heavy blocks, A. M. 3029. 

To represent the contemporaneous history of these 
two kingdoms the century columns, 31, 32, 33, are 
supposed to be divided from top to bottom, and the 
names belonging in the kingdom of Judah are placed 
on the left, with the dates on the right of the column, 
while those of the kingdom of Israel are on the right, 
and the dates on the left. Names of the Jewish race 
are in capitals, others in italics. The chief actors in 
this period were the kings of Judah and Israel, the 
prophets, and the foreign kings and captors by which 



22 Chronology of Bible History. 

the people were punished for their apostasies. The 
dates of the Jewish kings indicate the time of their 
accession to the throne, and the duration of each reign. 
The position of their names in the century column 
denotes the succession on each throne, and the con- 
temporaries of each king. The dates of the prophets 
indicate the time of their official work. Those on the 
left of the century columns officiated chiefly in the 
kingdom of Judah ; those on the right, in the king- 
dom of Israel. The dates of the foreign kings indi- 
cate the time of their appearance in Bible history. 

The arrangement of the kings of Judah and Israel 
in centuries 31, 32, 33, is worthy the special attention 
of all who desire to read the books of Kings and 
Chronicles without confusion. The history of these 
kings is not only in different books, and the parts sep- 
arated by intervening matter, but it passes alternately 
in the same chapter from one kingdom to the other, 
and sometimes the same name belongs to different 
kings of the same and different kingdoms. The re- 
sult is inextricable confusion. By reading those books 
with the table in hand, or, what is better, its princi- 
pal points transferred to the memory, all will be plain, 
and a new interest and better apprehension of the sub- 
ject matter will abundantly reward the effort. 

Period YIII is the connecting link of the Old and 
New Testaments. Old Testament history closes with 
the reformation accomplished by Ezra, Nehemiah, and 
Malachi. The Church, though restored from Baby- 
lon, had entered a long period of foreign domination, 
during which, though maintaining a kind of ecclesias- 
tical self-government, she was nevertheless subject to 
alien, and often hostile, powers. To aid the student 
in tracing her history through these centuries, and to 



Chronology of Bible History. 23 

furnish a clew to the material for the true exposition 
of the prophecies relating to this period, we have en- 
tered the names and dates of the chief actors, the 
Jewish high priests, governors, kings, and sects; also 
the names of the Medo-Persian, Grecian, Egyptian, 
and Assyrian kings. The names from secular history 
in Periods YII and YIII will serve as connecting 
links between that and Bible history. 

NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. 

This is arranged according to the dates of the " Nor- 
mal Outline," with numerous additions from Dr. 
H. B. Smith's " Chronological Tables of Church His- 
tory." 

The names of the Roman emperors are in large 
capitals; those of the governors of Palestine in small 
capitals. 

A few names from Church historv have been 
added in the last half of the century, to show the 
close connection between the Apostles and the earli- 
est Church fathers. 

The practicability of memorizing by this method, 
with comparatively little effort, so much of Bible his- 
tory as will make the student familiar with the his- 
torical and chronological relations of the several parts, 
so that one will readily suggest others, is beyond ques- 
tion. It can be done as easily as the outlines and 
prominent features of a map can be memorized — as 
easily as the place of books in a well arranged library 
can be remembered — for it is done by the same method, 
namely, visible perception and local relation. Re- 
membering by place and by the relations of things to 
each other is the natural and universal process of 
every-day life. It is constantly employed by all classes, 



24 Chronology of Bible History. 

and with the same beneficial results. The application 
of the process to the details of history is equally val- 
uable, as it brings them within reach of the dullest 
understanding and the poorest memory. Mark the 
steps. 

First. Associate ideas of time and events with place, 
columns, spaces, lines, and their relations to each 
other. 

Second. Make a few names and dates, nine only, 
the fixed and familiar indices to the whole history. 

Third. Associate with these names: (1.) The time 
by centuries of each book ; (2.) The time in each 
century of a few of the most prominent actors and 
events; and then extend this association, as in Table II, 
to so many of the prominent persons and events, that 
upon almost every page some name will appear with 
which we are familiar, and which will naturally sug- 
gest the time and relations of other names and events 
with which it stands connected. 

To establish this association will require time and 
effort, but not half so much as any other plan. 

In twenty hour-lessons, classes of youth from ten to 
sixteen years of age have so mastered the whole sub- 
ject, that on examination they were able to answer nine 
questions in every ten without mistake. The time 
given, by century or part of a century, they would 
state at once the prominent actors and events ; or the 
history given of any century, or part of a century, they 
would state the time. Taking the history by centu- 
ries, either from Genesis to Malachi, or from Malachi 
to Genesis, they could give readily the prominent 
actors and events of each century and quarter of a 
century. Their familiarity with the chief actors en- 
abled them to give the time of others not before 






Chkonology of Bible Historf. 25 

known, and thus new acquisitions of biblical facts 
were placed in their minds in their due order and re- 
lations. To accomplish the whole in twenty lessons 
of an hour each is certainly cheap enough. The ben- 
efits will multiply through life, and appear in all 
Bible work. 

The following list of lessons is given as a practica- 
ble scheme for attaining this result. Of course, in 
these lessons we should attempt, first of all, to fix in 
mind the time and relations of the chief actors and 
events. This done, the details of the history will nat- 
urally take their proper positions as parts of the whole. 

Lesson I. Explain the principles of the tables, 
and memorize perfectly the nine mnemonic names 
and their dates. 

Lesson II. The time of the historical books of the 
Old Testament by Periods and centuries. Table I. 

Lesson III. The time of the prophetic books of the 
Old Testament by centuries. Table II, Period vii. 

Lesson IV. The time of the antediluvian patri- 
archs — the chief actors of the first fifteen centuries. 
Table I. 

Lesson V. The principal actors and events from 
the flood to Abram. Review the preceding lessons. 
Table I. 

Lesson VI. The life and times of Abram and 
Isaac, and contemporaneous events in the twenty-first 
and twenty-second centuries. Table II. 

Lesson VII. The life and times of J acob and Joseph, 
and contemporaneous events, in the twenty-second, 
twenty-third, and twenty-fourth centuries. Table II. 

Lesson VIII. The life and times of Moses and 
Aaron, and contemporaneous events in the twenty- 
fifth and twenty -sixth centuries. Table II. 



26 Chronology of Bible History. 

Lesson IX. Israel under Joshua ; last half of the 
twenty-sixth century. Table II. 

Lesson X. The first defection after Joshua's death, 
and the three following captivities, with the succes- 
sion of Judges in the twenty-sixth and twenty-sev- 
enth centuries. Table II. 

Lesson XI. The fourth, fifth, and sixth captivities, 
and the succession of Judges in the twenty-eighth and 
twenty-ninth centuries. Table II. 

Lesson XII. The Hebrew monarchy during the 
reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon, in the thirtieth 
and thirty-first centuries. Table II. 

Lesson XIII. The division of the monarchy, and 
the succession of the kings on each throne in the thir- 
ty-first century. Table II. 

Lesson XIV. The succession of the kings of Judah 
and Israel, with contemporaneous events in the thir- 
ty-second century. Table II. 

Lesson XY. The succession of the kings of Judah 
and Israel, with contemporaneous events in the thir- 
ty-third century. Table II. 

Lesson XYI. The succession of the kings of Judah 
and Israel, with contemporaneous events in the thir- 
ty-fourth century. Table II. 

Lesson XYII. The succession of the kings of Ju- 
dah and the history of the Babylonian captivity, in 
the thirty-fifth century. Table II. 

Lesson XYIII. The period of the Eestoration 
under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, in the thirty- 
fifth and thirty-sixth centuries. Table II. 

Lessons XIX, XX. Eeview. 

This plan of lessons is made up in view of the 
necessity of accomplishing the most in a brief time. 
When teachers have ample time, they should expand 



Chronology of Bible History. 27 

so as to make each prominent character the sub- 
ject of a lesson. This would give opportunity to 
examine the narratives, and to clothe the bones of 
names and dates with the living flesh of history. 

For those who have not time to master the whole 
subject, much may be done in a general way by a 
shorter course, embracing the first three lessons. 
Many have been surprised at the results reached by 
those lessons alone, in enabling them to unify the 
materials of the Bible, and locate by centuries the 
leading facts and persons of its history. 

Let us see what three hours, or even less than that, 
will do, by ordinary attention : 

First. The method of remembering by place and 
relations will become familiar to the mind, and a 
succession of places, corresponding to the succession 
of years, will be present in the mind as objects of 
sight, always suggesting the ideals of time. 

Second. We shall have fixed in the memory the 
nine mnemonic names and dates, at equal distances, 
along the line from Adam to Christ, with which all 
parts of Bible history will naturally become asso- 
ciated in time. 

These names are so connected with other names 
and events, that they readily suggest the time by 
centuries of nearly one third of the whole. Adam 
suggests the whole history of the creation and cor- 
relative events. Jared will readily suggest the time 
of Enoch and his life. Noah and Shem, of course, 
suggest the corruption of the antediluvian age and 
the flood. Abram, just half way from Adam to 
Christ chronologically, suggests the persons and 
events of the two centuries in which his life falls. 
As his name was changed from Abram to Abraham 



23 Chronology of Bible History. 

at the beginning of the 22d century, all the history 
in which the name is Abram falls in the 21st cen- 
tury, and Abraham in the 22d. Moses also locates 
two centuries, the 25th and 26th, and suggests all 
his contemporaries. Solomon's life falls in two cen- 
turies, and locates as to time the entire history of the 
undivided monarchy during his reign, and the reigns 
of David and Saul. It fixes also the time of the 
division of the monarchy into the kingdoms of Judah 
and Israel, with the kings and events of each, during 
the 31st century. Ezra naturally suggests the his- 
tory of two centuries, including the destruction of 
the kingdom of Judah, the Babylonian captivity, 
the restoration and reformation under Zerubbabel, 
Ezra, and Nehemiah. Thus by eight names and 
their dates — which can be fixed in the mind in a 
single half hour, so as never to be forgotten — all 
these events and persons, with the history of about 
twelve centuries, will be located in a general way, 
in their due relations in the order of time. 

Now take Lesson II : " The location of the histor- 
ical books by centuries." "When we locate a book 
chronologically, we locate the time of the contents of 
the book approximately. For practical use it is gen- 
erally sufficient to know and remember the century 
and quarter of a century in which events belong. 
The name of Moses, of course, suggests his five books. 
Genesis extends through twenty-three centuries, but 
all except the first eleven chapters belongs in the 
last four ; that is, in the 21st, 22d, 23d, 24th centu- 
ries. Genesis, I Chronicles, and the first two chap- 
ters of Exodus cover the first five periods, or 2,500 
years. All of Exodus, except as above, Leviticus, 
Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua belong in the 



Chronology of Bible History. 29 

26th century, and, of course, arc suggested by the 
name Moses. And we may come nearer the fact than 
this. All of Exodus except the first two chapters 
belongs in two years of the 26th century, A. M. 
2513, 2514. All of Leviticus in one year, 2514. 
All of Numbers in thirty-nine years, from 2514 to 
2553. Deuteronomy reviews the history of nearly 
forty years, ending A. M. 2553. Joshua belongs to 
the next thirty-one years after the death of Moses. 
Thus the books of Moses fall almost entirely in the 
first half of the twenty-sixth century, and that of 
Joshua in the last half. The name Solomon suggests 
the time of the books falling in the 30th and 31st 
centuries, namely : all of I Samuel after the seventh 
chapter, II Samuel, the first nineteen chapters of 
I Kings, all of I Chronicles after the first nine chap- 
ters ; also the first seventeen chapters of II Chron- 
icles, Solomon's Song, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes. The 
name of Ezra suggests the time of the books belong- 
ing in the 35th, 36th centuries, namely : Ezra, Nehe- 
miah, Esther, Lamentations, and the closing portions 
of II Kings and II Chronicler. It also indicates 
the time of the prophets who lived during these cen- 
turies, Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Daniel, Ezekiel, Oba- 
diah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. 

Another lesson may be " The time of the prophetic 
books in the centuries." This will enable the stu- 
dent as he advances to discover the historical con- 
nections of the prophets with the general history of 
their times. If any prefer, they can take the princi- 
pal events indicated by the blocks in the centuries, 
and thus fix in the memory the great outlines of the 
whole subject. 

Three hours upon these lessons will afford the 



30 Chronology of Bible History. 

most satisfactory results, and prepare the way for the 
full course. In this way, with comparatively little 
effort, the sources of Bible history will be laid open, 
the scattered fragments gathered and arranged in 
their historical connections, not on paper merely, 
but in the mind of the student. He will become so 
familiar with the chief actors and events of the Script- 
ures, that he can recollect their time and relations 
without difficulty. And these facts and dates, thus 
fixed in the mind, will become the nuclei around 
which any newly-discovered facts will cluster by 
natural association, and thus every addition to his 
stock of Bible facts, from reading or hearing, will 
assume its proper place. 

To the student of prophecy this knowledge will be 
of incalculable value, and he will find many pleasant 
surprises by unexpected light flashing upon the pro- 
phetic record from the history of the times. 

For illustration, one of many, turn to the seventh 
of Jeremiah. Bead it carefully ; observe the sum- 
mons, " Hear the word of the Lord ; " " Amend your 
ways ; " " Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The 
temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these." 
See how the prophet lifts the vail, and brings to light 
their wickedness and the fatalism by which they jus- 
tified it. "Will ye steal, murder, and commit adul- 
tery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, 
and walk after other gods, and come and stand before 
me in this house, which is called by my name, and 
say, We are delivered to do all these abominations." 
" Go now unto Shiloh where I set my name at first, 
and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my peo- 
ple Israel. Therefore will I do unto this house, which 
is called by my name, wherein ye trust, as I have done 



Chronology of Bible History. 31 

unto Shiloh. I will cast you out of my sight. There- 
fore pray not thou ( Jeremiah) for this people, for I will 
not hear thee." This was a fearful message addressed 
to God's chosen people. But when ? At what stage 
of their national life % What storm was even then 
gathering, by which " the land should be desolate ? " 
Add the chronology of this vision, A. M. 3394. Add 
the chronology and history of that time as recorded 
in II Chronicles xxxv, 20-27, and xxxvi, 1-22. From 
this we learn that in that same year Pharaoh-necho, 
with his Egyptians, swept over the land, and Josiah, 
the last righteous king of Judah, died by their hand 
in the valley of Megiddo. Four years after, A. M. 3398, 
came Nebuchadnezzar, and with him the night of the 
Babylonian captivity began to close around them. In 
that night the " wrath of the Lord arose against his 
people till there was no remedy." " The destroyer 
had no compassion upon young man or maiden, or 
him that stooped for age." " They burnt the house 
of God, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem. . . . 
And them that had escaped the sword carried he away 
to Babylon, where they were servants to him and his 
sons." The historian adds that all this was " to fulfill 
the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah." 
2 Chron. xxxvi, 16-22. 

Thus history explains and verifies the truth of 
prophecy. But we perceive the verification only by 
the aid of chronology. This shows the historical con- 
nections, and floods both with light and power. By 
chronology applied to history we also discover the 
vast extent of prophetic visions as they sweep over 
the advancing eras, centuries, and millenniums, and 
are astonished at the wonderful knowledge and wis- 
dom of God revealed in the Scriptures. Applied to 



32 Chronology of Bible History. 

history and prophecy, chronology also enables us to 
prove the exact fulfillment of the inspired declaration, 
so that, however remote the prediction from the fact, 
we shall nevertheless find, in the great procession of 
the ages, the most abundant proof that, though the 
heavens and the earth pass away, " the word of the 
Lord endureth forever." 



THE 



CHRONOLOGY OF BIBLE HISTORY, 



HOW TO REMEMBER IT. 



BY REV. C. MUNGER. A.M 



NEW YORK : 
NELSON & PHILLIPS. 

CINCINNATI: 
HITCHCOCK & WALDEN. 

SFNTJAY-SOHOOI. DEPARTMENT. 



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